


Always There

by Huggle



Category: Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Zachary Foxx, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Rangers, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:01:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27071650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huggle/pseuds/Huggle
Summary: It’s been a rough few weeks for the Rangers’ captain.  The last thing he needs is to be at the mercy of someone wanting a closer look at his cybernetic prosthetics.But his team isn’t far away.
Relationships: Zachary Foxx & Niko, Zachary Foxx & Shane Gooseman, Zachary Foxx & Walter “Doc” Hartford
Comments: 5
Kudos: 4





	Always There

**Author's Note:**

> I miss this show too.

“It’s just a tune up,” the technician said.

Zachery followed him down the corridor, moving aside for a cleaning droid that zipped past them. He didn’t neglect his cybernetic components, since they were necessary not just for him to do his job, but his actual survival, but it felt like he’d been poked and prodded a whole lot lately.

Probably, he was still just handling his own arm taking on a life of its own and trying to kill him, but that wasn’t exactly (thankfully) an everyday occurrence.

All the same, he hoped this ‘tune up’ didn’t take long. As captain of the Rangers, he had the paperwork to do as well, and there sure had been a lot of it the past few weeks. Tonight, he’d promised the kids a family night, and he was determined not to let them down.

Again.

The technician showed him into an examination room, and motioned to the exam table. Zach sat up on it, and watched the tech guide a hover trolley over next to him.

“Captain, could you lie back?”

“Is this going to take long?”

The tech frowned at him, as if he was being difficult. “It will take less time if you cooperate.”

For a minute, Zachery was tempted to tell him where he could put his tune up, but he bit his tongue. The guy was just doing his job, and it wasn’t his fault the last few weeks had been so damned difficult.

He swung his legs onto the bed and then lay back.

The tech picked up a scanner and ran it down the left side of Zach’s body.

“Have you experienced any further issues? Unexplained weakness, twitches, power fluctuations?”

Zach shook his head. “No. Everything’s been fine since the arm was replaced.”

“Mmmm.” The tech put down the scanner and picked up another device. It looked like a long metal needle, a broad handle tapering to a blunt tip with a glowing light at the end. “Just need to check some of your reactions.”

Zach tensed up. He wasn’t a cybernetic expert by any means, but in none of his previous check ups had he seen anything like what the tech was holding now.

He didn’t even know why he had to be here. Walt had been keeping an eye on him, and maybe cybernetics wasn’t exactly his field either, but he knew enough to handle any problems Zach might encounter, and he definitely preferred somebody he knew, and felt comfortable around, checking him over.

Somehow, he always felt vulnerable at these exams; he wasn’t sure why, but this time in particular the tech’s manner made it worse.

“What is that?” Zach said.

“I told you, Captain,” the tech said.

“To test my reactions,” Zach said, unable to keep the sarcastic tone from his voice. “I asked you what it is, not what it’s for.”

Before he could say anything else, metal cuffs shot up from the table, and fastened around his wrists and ankles.

He yelled in alarm, and immediately tugged against them, but they held.

Without being able to touch his badge, he couldn’t activate his implant, or the strength he’d need to break free.

The tech smiled as he removed Zach’s badge and set it aside. “You won’t be needing that, Captain Foxx. My employer’s most curious as to how exactly the Queen was able to do what she did to you. I’m going to help him find out. If you don’t resist, this will be over quickly and it’ll hurt a lot less. And don’t bother trying to call for help; these rooms are insulated for sound and privacy.

“There’s absolutely nothing you can do.”

Oh, that wasn’t exactly right.

As the tech leaned in, Zach slammed his head forward, catching him right on the bridge of his nose.

He cried out and stumbled away, and Zach took the opportunity to focus on Niko.

Even without her implant activated, she might pick up that he was in trouble.

But then the tech was back at his side. Blood dribbled from his broken nose, and Zach knew the guy’s eyes would be bruised and swollen come tomorrow. 

It was now he was worried about, though. The tech still held the tool.

“I was going to enjoy this a whole lot before,” he said, glaring down at his captive. “I’m going to enjoy it even more now.”

He jabbed the device straight into the joint where Zach’s arm met his shoulder, and it felt like he was being electrocuted; he bucked upwards, thrashing, as pain tore through him, and his arm’s circuitry glowed.

The tech used his other arm across Zach’s chest, pinning him, and then he drove the probe even deeper, ramming it right into the mechanics before roughly twisting it.

Zach tugged one last time against the cuffs, and then he felt the room start to fade out around him.

The last thing he heard was somebody yelling his name, and the sound of a blaster.

GR GR GR 

He awoke with a start, pushing himself upright, and almost toppling off the bed.

Strong hands caught him, one at the back of his neck and another on his right shoulder. His impulse was to pull away, but his entire body felt like he’d been trampled by one of the robo steeds.

“Easy, Zachery. I’ve got you. You’re okay.”

He looked up to find Goose staring worriedly down at him. Gently, Goose eased him back to lie flat. 

Zach looked around him; he was in the medical wing, and there were doctors and nurses moving around, looking after other patients.

One glanced in their direction, and came over.

“Captain. How do you feel?”

“Better than...how long have I been out?”

The nurse looked at a diagnostic display above the bed. “Not long. There was some minor physical and mechanical damage but both have been taken care of, and we felt it better to let you wake naturally. Now that you have, we can discharge you provided someone stays with you for the next twelve hours or so.”

Goose nodded. “We’ll take care of it.”

The nurse retreated, and Goose helped Zachery sit up.

“What happened?”

Goose’s expression turned dark. “Niko got the feeling you were in trouble, and we tracked you down to that examination room. She and Doc are interrogating that fake technician now, but he asked for a lawyer and then clammed up.

“We’ll find out who he works for though. And then he’ll end up in a cell right next to him.”

Zachery got off the table, staggered a little, and was grateful when Goose took his arm to steady him.

“Like we don’t have enough enemies to worry about.”

He told Goose what the tech had said about his employer. 

“We’re always gonna have targets on our backs,” Goose said. “But we’re a team. We’ll always be there for each other.”

Zach knew it. If it wasn’t the Queen, it was the likes of Lazarus Slade. But it came with the territory, and he’d known that when he accepted his commission as a ranger.

Still..he’d never imagined it would lead him here. Without his wife, trying to raise his kids alone, taking care of his team and helping to fight a crazed tyrant who wanted to enslave the galaxy.

Not to mention half his body being made of metal and circuitry.

“Captain,” Goose said. “Zach.”

Zach glanced at him. 

“Like I said. Always there. Now how about I get you back to your quarters? If you’re lucky, I might even cook.”

Zach frowned. “I don’t remember ever hearing you say you could.”

Goose grinned. “Sharpshooting isn't my only talent, Zachery. Come on, let’s get you home.”


End file.
